Reviews (page 4 of 7)
OK but didn't move me in any way. Basically all stuff that Kanye did, and did better. And that's before we discuss the Outro...
Fun.
Kick, Push is such a tune.
Not bad, pretty fun.
Pretty wild compositions here
An incredible album throughout. Beats are flawless and the unique story telling is Lupe at his finest. Loved this album when it came out and love this album today
This was decent for the genre which isn't my favorite. Had some variety and was mostly more mature lyrically than some others.
solid hip hop, definitely has that late 2000s Chicago rap scene sound. reminded me of the old Kanye. bars were pretty solid
Never listened to this when it came out, but I was impressed with the lyrics and the flow. Beats were solid, of course, but I was more into the lyrics on this one.
Push, Kick was a throw back to working in GAME 20 years ago, still holds up. The rest probably better suits a summers day than a cold autumn morning. Does get a bit samey towards the end with sprinkles of interesting production now and then. Maybe 20 minutes too long with filler. 2.5 but rounded up to 3
I just adore this album. The beats are lush, Lupe’s verses are distinctive and well written, and the features expand the songs. Now did he have to read album credits on the Outro? Probably not, but I just love this album.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this
This feels like a snapshot of a very specific time in rap history. Lots of Chicago artists coming through with these big, beautifully produced records. It doesn’t hold up quite as well as some of its contemporary counterparts but pretty great for a debut album.
Didn't annoy me much in the background.
me surpreendeu MUITO
great stuff, it’s a shame he peaked with this album
Uh 1st & (1st &) 15th (15th) Woah, uh! Lupe Fiasco's: Food & Liquor Is lovingly, hand-crafted and done By the good folks, at 1st & 15th, yeah! Much love to the F&F crew Bryce, (yeah) Gemini, Shayla G Pro, Soundtrakk, Jason Salvador Simon, Bishop G, Bran Dog G-Ball, G-Ball, yeah! All the engineers, Chilly Chill, mixers Esco, much love goes out, to Rita Lee The Buchanans, Suzis 'N Uzi Everybody that...helped this project from day one Can't forget, Bolo, Footloose You know, the incomporable DJ G.I Kim Lumpkin, Bizzy, Spores (you heard) Marcus, Mr. Mark Pitts, L.A. Reid Drew, Tyvee, Success, the whole FTK You know, Mr. Mike Love, Bulumaster, what up! Can't forget, Veedaugh, DJ Pharus, Coops, DJ Timbuktu K-Scratch, The Base Man, Boogie Boy DJ Semtex, 279, Dr. Wax, Jason Eavre, HMV, Envy What up, Envy? Get Real, Flex, Funk Master, Flex, yeah (Violet) Can't forget E-Nyce, (Eric Lowe), the entire Bum Squad DJ family Shout to Loud Prince, Crystal Bubblin', (Paul Wall) All of the heavy hitters, (Trey Songz), all of the Murda Mamis Can't forget Kay Slay, Cipha Sounds, Amanda Diva, (Sirius Radio) DJ Chop, (Enough), DJ Hyphen, Greg Street, you know I'm talkin' 'bout?! All the radio stations around the world that hold me down (Music Choice) Can't forget 'em all, E-bro, WGCI, Pie 92, Hot 97, Choice FM, BBC One Extra All the pirate stations, can't forget Tim Westwood, all the music video channels (Gomez Warez), Tiffany Green, (MTV), Elroy Smith, (BET), Bam (and VH1) Can't forget my big homie, Sean Deah. (Hawaii Mike) What up, baby? There from day one! Can't forget K.T., Alazay, the whole Raw Dough Brackets (Mr. Perry), The Pack, even though we no more Mr. Star, much love to Navi, Butcher, D-Lo, (Miss Cole) Butcher source of Quran right now, it's all good, much love to ya! All my teachers (ya heard!), Mr. K All of the artists—my fellow artist in the game that hold me down and help me out Talib Kweli, (Mike Sanders), The Roots—shout to Black Thought—Mos Def Can't forget, (Consequence), just...(Rhymefest!) everybody, Three Six Mafia man Sway! Decipher! The whole Star Track, (Rakim), Pusha T, Clipse, Push Konflict Slim Thugger, Swisster, (Ab-Liva), Psychodrama, Shawnna, GLC, Really Doe The whole GOOD Music, Ibin Don, C. John, Monopoly Mr. Kanye West, you know! Can't forget, Stack Bundlez, what up b?! Uh, Poo Bear Everybody showin' me love—my whole Fort Minor family! Styles of Beyond, Kenna, Apathy, Candy Pop Shout to the whole Demigods Can't forget Craig G, who wants me to wear the crown but I tell him I can't (*laughs*) The Gorillaz—shout to the Gorillaz, ya heard, uh! Shout out to The Desk, all the radio personalities, you know I'm sayin' where I'm from (Scars) Chi-Town (ya heard!), Chicago! Uhuh (Man!) Shout to Bionce Foxx, Kid Robot, shout out to Roxy, (Tre), shout to Miss Jones Too Hot 97 (Choco Joc), everybody gave me looks, shout out to all the magazines showin' me love, holdin' me down (Nakid) Especially The Fader, gave my first cover, (Samsil), shout to Billboard, gave me the cover (Crazy Howard McGee), shout to Vibe, Source, XXL, shout to Kicks Exclusive, got a cover Shout to GQ, (Cash Carter), you know Rolling Stone, shout to all the internet sites—OkayPlayer All Hip-Hop, School of Hip-Hop.com, (MySpace), you know, showin' me love, a thank you! All my fans! Shout to Hypebeast.com, shout to Kevin Mar, I love my fans Shout to all my Streetware family all my skater dark heads out there Shout to Slam Excite, (Tony Hole), shout to Hustlin' Body.com, Freshness Mag.com, (DGK!) Shout to all the stores that around the world that are holdin' me down, (Steve Williams), Maharishi, DPMHI Shout to Harley Bleckmen, Damien, and my big brother Nash Money Dollars Alex, shout to mag the over Slammin' Kicks, Dough Street, Ben Jury Shout out to Lamessie and Amanda, from LMAC Down in Singapore, (Voss!), yeah, my lil' brother Dano, Dano West, Salaam-al-aikum (Street Connoiseur) Shout to my big brother Ian, stayin' out for Kicks Hawaii Crew (Crabby, Henry), Aloha! Huh.. Aubrass, shout to Ricky Kim, shout to Chuck Anderson (Ken, The Riot), The Billions.com Shout to Vergil, (Jackson Hennessey), shout to Benjamin, shout to the whole crew (Righteous!) (Kung-Fu!), shout to the JB Classics, you know, shout to my big homie Rob Hebler Wiggly Drop.com, (Hot Dogg!), shout to my man Chris Gibbs over at Union Big shout out to Edison Shay and the Chopstick MC, the whole Kli family, yeah F&F Hong Kong, what up! You know, it's mad long, right? (*laughs*) (Henry Lovell), shout to Keep Up Neighbour, San Francisco (Nathan), shout to my homie Julian, (Cabrerra) Out in Paris, holdin' me and my man Jason down, much love! Shout to Miami Girl, L.A. Barracuda, shout to Dave Ortiz, Dave's quality, (Meats!) You know how the long two way fashion thing, shout to my man Rolf from Artful Dodger Matt Anger, of Reebok, shout to the whole Reebok staff holdin' me down You know I'm sayin', Q Gaskins, Q!, Its "Food & Liquor" time baby! Shout to Matt Inc., shout to Wendy, shout to Liz Cardozo, all my family up at Reebok, (Pam's Am!) (DC Shoes), it's all forgiven, ya heard! (Shout to Kevin Hana), shout to every club promoter, every show promoter, out there Shout to my big homie Neil, much love to you homie thank you! (Christopher Adams) Much obliged, much appreciated, shout to Mark Sheeder, Kevin Black, shout out to Kevin Black Just make sure you get yours man, I'm aware Shout to the entire Atlantic Records staff, Greg Helman, Julia Greenwald (Warren Geese), Emmanuel, Keyzer, James Lopez, (Doug Horn), Sylvia, (Diane) The lovely, talented Veronica Alvarici (Latrice), the lovely and talented Camille Hackney, Cindy Marcuson, (Brian Singjon), (Jules) Katherine—I can't forget you (All of the secretaries and), LaToya Sterling (and assistants and the interns) Andrew, you know I'm sayin' (Noah) Shout to Tamara (Scott), shout to Ayesha, (Crespo), aight! John McMahon, (Nice!), shout to the building, they show me love, they be like "Watch out Lupe comin' through!" (Damon, Cookie), The Nasty Boys, shout to the whole One Music group, Leo Con, (Mel) and Mr. Kevin Lauch (Rick Betterman, Marcus Youst) Thank you for comin' out man (Darrell Thomas) Yeah, it was appreciated far beyond you'll ever believe, you know what I'm talkin' about (Scott Francis) Shout to Carlene, Marcia, the whole Def Jam staff too, it's weird cause I'm doing Def Jam shout outs But I got to because they, they, they holdin' me down (G), shout to Tata, shout to Linnie S Shout to Beehive, Samantha Hill, (Guru), it's much appreciated, believe me (Just Blaze), Sean Healey Shout to Glasses Malone, what's up! (Sagon), Constantine, Big Chuck, yeah! Doin' his thing right now Shout out to Karen Quark, oh man, Karen Quark, yeah, we did it baby! David Enriquez, shout to T.I., whole Grand Hustle, (Taro), you know what I'm sayin', yeah! Here's the whole crew everybody, from that crew that hold me down, everybody around the world! That hold me down, I love you Shout to my family, my mother, my father, my brothers, my sisters, my nieces, my nephews, my aunties, uncles You know I'm sayin', I love all y'all, you know, I love all y'all I ain't gon say no names, but I love all y'all Shout to all my homies on the block, Madison Street, whole Surrender Crew, shout to Cole Cheece (Jaguar, what up!) shout to Aida, shout to Antoine, shout to Moon, shout to Shawn, (Tikaboo), Nick Luda Shout to everybody, shout to all y'all man, shout to Li'l Man, shout to (Miss Gartley) Dough Boy, shout to Napo The Original 1500s, (Lupe), Bishop G, L-U-P-E, we still here! Keep on hustlin', I guarantee, God willin' Rest in peace Randy, shout out to Shakapilva, see I called you as one of the last ones (whole Chicago, aye) But I got ya, you know, the whole Wild Moneys (SOATS, Northside, Southside, Eastside, Chicago), get up outta here (Man! Westside!) This has been, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor comin' to a close, peace! Next album, Lupe Fiasco's (and much love to ya) The Cool If I forgot, forgive (Astaghfirullah) I'll catch you on the next one Salaam-al-aikum!
I have been tuned in to Lupe Fiasco for quite some time and love this record. There is the occasional lyrical misstep, but there isn't much to complain about here. Kick/Push, I Gotcha, Sunshine, and Daydream are right up there with some of the best hip hop tracks. Sunshine wins for me. Something about heavy samples and pad stabs....I dunno. He is also a super interesting dude if you decide to check him out. Interesting upbringing, multiple black belts. Smart dude. 4.5/5
4 Push. Kick. Coast.
The better B.O.B.
Ugh I was going to give this a 3 because I did genuinely enjoy a few songs. There were some throwbacks here that I'd not heard in years! But there was also a load of shite that should have been left off the album The reason I'm knocking an extra star off is because I hated the outro that much. It really got on my tits to be honest and I couldn't believe it was STILL going Maybe there's a reason I hadn't heard these songs in years 2 ⭐️
I enjoyed the Kanye-esque, sample heavy style, but this is also hurt by the overall length in my opinion (long outro track doesn’t help).. hard time rating this one.. 2.5/5
Conscious, badass, thoughtful and musically driving
Closer to a 4.5
😊
It was ok
Was a fun listen, not my usual genre so it's nice to discover new things.
Day645 - fiasco is right
Sometimes quite listenable for an hip-hop album. But a full album of hip-hop is still too much for me.
Interesting, but not really my cup of musical tea
Wow, haven’t heard this name in a while. This was honestly pretty good but every song felt like it had the same beat and cadence. Kick Push was the only one I recognized. Loved that outro where he thanks seemingly every person he’s ever come across. Light 4.
I liked this much better than most of the rap/hiphop that has been on the list. It had good beats and rhythms and the lyrics were pretty smart. Some R&B feeling songs too. I was amused by the Jerry Garcia namecheck in the second or third song and I liked the song about skateboarding a lot.
I thought this album improved as it continued. Lupe Fiasco had a lot to say here and the songs reflected that. I only knew “kick push” and “daydream” before listening and enjoyed hearing those in the context of the other songs here. The 10 minute mixtape style thank you track however was inexcusable.
it’s your stereotypical 2000s hip-hop album, but with a shitty 12 outro where he thanks everyone except my pediatrician
Me gusta más The Cool, que vendría un año más tarde, pero éste también me gusta.
A great Discovery for me. Nice songs, I highly recommend It.
I solid hip hop album, you can certainly hear a Kanyeness to it and for that reason I wanted to not like it but it was ok really. Probably will never listen to it again though… Sorry.
such a good rap album, 3.5
Nope, I hate that crap
Good
I’m not interested in rap but this was pretty good.
Por más que lo intento no puedo terminar un disco de rap sin que se me atragante. A Lupe Fiasco no lo conocía ni de nombre. Una canción me suena pero creo que es por el sampler que usa. Me cuesta encontrar descanso en la continua verborrea dentro de temas sin estribillo, por más que su base rítmica tenga su aquel, y mira que lo intento. La desconexión cultural que siento ante esta manifestación artística tampoco ayuda, por mucho que los temas que se tratan son cuestiones sociales casi universales, pero es el formato el que me resulta ajeno.
mmmah
Most thankful rapper I've ever heard. 3/5
Pretty good I was sceptical but was a sweet vibe
Never got around Lupe, but did get around Kanye which they're of the same ilk. Might have got into Lupe back in those days but this was an ok listen. All sounds kinda samey, so many over produced horns in this era of hip hop. Easily half an hour too long
Not my thing, though some of the sampling is cool.
I used to listen to this daily in the spring of 2008. Excellent writing. But once I noticed that the end of each bar, he would inhale loudly, I stopped listening. And I can’t unhear it now!
Really liked a couple of songs - We will not be lovers and The stolen girl
I liked this! Some cool songs, I liked the one that sampled daydreaming
This is fine but kind of a strange selection from what was an extremely prolific era of rap music.
was dit al beu na eerste minuten... tip voor de persoon in kwestie : laat die "Lupe" maar vallen
Nah, not for me
Lupe is a mix of Jay-Z and Kanye (which makes sense since the signed/produced him), but he's a little more "folksy" than both of them. He's a storyteller - "Kick and Push" is a great examples, but most of the tracks are similar in that regard. It's great (and under-appreciated).
Some classics on here. Need to listen deeper and maybe I’ll re-review this one!
Hip-Hop, but not just any Hip-Hop, this is Conscious Hip-Hop! However, conscious or unconscious, it's still Hip-Hop and I'm not a fan.
Feels too of its time for me to appreciate
"Uh Yeah, Uh Yeah, Uh yeah" 👌
Great album.
Didn't listen, not for me.
It’s ok I suppose but it’s not really my genre
Having flashbacks to 'The College Dropout'... especially with that (almost equally insufferable) Outro... oof... It's unfortunate that what I think could be the strongest part of this album (the lyrics) is somewhat obscured and overshadowed by its weaker elements (e.g. dull hooks, uninteresting samples, and length (even without that unnecessary Outro)). I often felt like weighty things were flying by too quickly to absorb them. Multiple plays might help more of the message to shine through, but the cited weaker elements are a real deterrent to that approach. Still, I did give it two listens (minus that (and I can't stress this enough) fully skippable Outro), and there are a few decent tracks ('Kick, Push', 'The Instrumental' and 'He Say She Say' stand out), so it wouldn't feel right outright failing it.
Not mad about it, not excited about it. I didn’t need it on this list.
Not an album I expected to see at all, but very pleasantly surprised. Definitely not even a top 10 rapper for me but there are a lot of bangers hidden away here like ‘Pressure,’ and the production as a whole is top notch.
I really think if your album is over 45 minutes you need to earn every single minute of that extra time and sadly, this did not
Actually pretty great! Nice composition of samples, interesting flows and lyrics and a lot (a lot) of shoutouts!
Pretty decent, liked the sound.
Big sample-driven sound I can't always really get into hip-hop, I would not choose to listen to it, but I like it enough when it's on
Fun, but I didn't love it.
I love a good mid 2000s rap album… except for them all being about 25 minutes too long. Not bad at all though production and rhymes were a one and he is also a good singer. 3.5
The entire 12 minute outro I thought it was gonna end with a real song. Genius. This rocked the beats were pretty nuts. Really enjoyed.
One good song
Solid 3.5, rounded up because I was surprised by how good it was as a whole album!
𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘥 & 𝘓𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘰𝘳 is a solid hip hop record, but nothing particularly groundbreaking. While Lupe Fiasco shows skill as a lyricist and storyteller, it’s hard to imagine this album having the revolutionary impact on hip hop that some claim. The 12-minute outro, basically a long thank-you list put to a beat, feels unnecessary and drags down the experience. There are some strong tracks here, but overall it feels more like a competent debut than a classic. In the end, it’s good, just not essential.
Shout out to all the internet sites
Brought me back to summers as a kid…it could be a 3 star album, but when you look more into Lupe’s life both past and present one realizes just how good this actually is
Synes Chicagoscenen i 00'erne er helt fint repræsenteret på listen uden et så overproduceret album som det her. Jeg synes Lupe er en helt ok rapper dog, men øj hvor er den her lang og monoton
Ved ikke om jeg ville kalde den essentiel, men han er sgu en god rapper, og der sker en del i de her beats af en 2006 plade at være! Shout out to my big homie
Super toothless and generic modern rap. This album is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long. 72 minutes...
It has great tempo and I love the flow! My favorite track was He Said She Said.
I love rap, was really into Kanye’s first few albums, and really enjoy Lupe’s later career albums (Tetsuo & Youth onward), so I was surprised how little I enjoyed this. His flow is pretty good and the lyricism is pretty good, but I mostly hate the production. It just sounds lame and hasn’t aged super well I think. Obviously “Kick, Push” is a classic, but few other moments on this record really appealed to me.
There were some pretty good moments, but the rest was a little forgettable. Kick Push and Pressure were both solid, but I kinda dipped out of the outro like 3 minutes in.
Ehhhh it was alright!
Damn it's been a minute since I heard this one. Really appreciating the production on this listen, especially all the beats Lupe did himself. Easy to see how this project was a massive influence on all my favorite rappers growing up. Crazy consistent flow throughout, definitely dated but the bars are still there
This is actually good Rap.
This is a hell of an album. A great example of conscience hip hop on a major label. The album picks up at Daydream and maintains a great pace until the last sing which is just shout outs. American Terrorist and Daydream are two of the best songs of the last 20 years.
You can tell how strong the American bias of this list is due to this album making the list, despite Lupe Fiasco's considerable efforts. Surely there were better albums to be found from South America, Africa, Asia, Australia or even Europe (though that gets more than its fair share due to Great Britain being on the list).
Lupe can be a little corny sometimes but this is still a crazy good debut album.
Hitting hard right out of the gate, the first two tracks introduce a packed and lush soundscape. Some real standout tracks, with allusions to and inspirations from old school and a big dose of Jay Z with an all new sound, somehow.
Every cut sounds the same.
From Mural I know that Lupe Fiasco is capable of absolute top-drawer rap, so how does he fare on his debut record, 9 years prior to that? The answer is as if you’re listening to a veteran of the genre. Employing an easy enough narrative (you got your food, and you got your liquor) and enlisting the help of both new-ish voices and experienced MCs (Jay-Z being a highlight on Pressure) to create a rap album that’s over an hour but also one that justifies its runtime completely. Notwithstanding the 12-minute Outro which serves as a spoken-word alternative to the ‘thank you’ section of the liner notes, which is interesting, I suppose. Again with very lyrical albums, it’s hard to judge just how good they are on first listen. But this time, my first listen has felt like I’m listening to an old friend. There will undoubtedly be many repeats of this, as I have done already with Mural, which isn’t matched by anything here, but the style is there. Shout out to Lupe Fiasco, shout out to rateyourmusic.com, shout out to music streaming (not really), and shout out to the 1001 albums generator.
ja ganz okayes hip hop album
Lupe Shitasco. That Outro was torture.
* Rap is not my thing
Listening to Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor leaves you hungry and sober. Daydreamin' is the only saving grace, because it reminds me of Glory Box by Portishead.
Hmmm this intro is actually 🔥 But I didn't finish the whole album I am giving this 3 stars.
Way cooler that I thought. Well produced i guess it’s hip hop. Actually is hip hop still a thing? Is it rap? I don’t but it sounded good. Nothing I’d go back to. Never heard of him or anyone collaborated with in this record. Outro thank you song was annoying.
Surprisingly good. I enjoyed it pretty much. Good instrumentals, good lyrics and vocals, this had it all.
There’s nothing to dislike here as such, but this is just a bit too long and a bit too samey to really grab my attention. Not really my thing either, but I don’t actively dislike this and it was tolerable background music on my morning commute. So three it is.
I was extremely skeptical at first but the album surprised me. It was better than expected. I really liked the song The Instrumental. The rest had good beats and Lupe Fiasco isn't a bad rapper.
Smooth and compelling flow. Vivid lyricism. Raps about some really interesting themes and for the most part avoids the usual gangsta rap clichés which i found somewhat refreshing. Beats are pretty well put together with a wide range of samples used. Outro was unecessarily long and monotonous. I would perhaps have enjoyed a few more stripped back tracks with more casual beats where the focus was more on the rapping as I think the lyricism is the strongest element of the music. On that note I think 'The Cool' is probably my favourite track. Or maybe 'Kick Push'. Or maybe 'He Say She Say'. 8/10
Damn you, Kanye West. I may hate him as a person but he really did make some of the best beats of the 2000s. I loved style on this album and Lupe really does a lot with what he's given. The whole album has this really cinematic feel to it, like he's some larger-than-life figure, and the album cover helps with that. Granted, the album cover is the most violently 2006 cover ever, right down to the Nintendo DS in the bottom-left. Anyways, the non-rap influences on some of the songs were the really cool part to me, like the Soul and Latin inspired beats and singing in the latter half of the album. The whole experience is just that, an experience, and it's a great one. "The ink of a scholar is worth a thousand times more than the blood of a martyr" is one of the hardest quotes to ever show up in a rap song.
This was really good.
OK, this album kick pushed into my heart, it was so interesting musically the beats were dope. I just love this album
A l'apparition du titre de l'album j'ai cru que son écoute serait un exercice de masochisme. Finalement en dehors d'un début un peu lent et d'une dernière "chanson" qui n'apporte rien à l'album c'est un disque assez bon.
Second hiphop album on the trot. This time someone I’ve never heard of. Actually enjoyed most of the music. Maybe I’m softening up to hiphop? Of course, this being 21st century hip hop, some of the lyrics are a bit crap. But in general I can’t understand what they are saying half the time and I can’t be arsed to read a lyric sheet. Like I care anyway. Nice of him to read the sleeve notes on the Outro though! So based on the beats, the melodies, the rhythm. It’s a 3.
First thing I noticed when I looked up informartion about this album was that Mike Shinoda is credited as a producer in the song 'The Instrumental'. I pointed this out because in my first listening, in which I was paying attention to what song was playing, I instantly recognized the song because of the sound of the beat, and I though that it was realy funny. Anyway, this album has this very grandiose approach in terms of beats and overall sound. It feels big and loud. But honestly, I wasn't as big fan of it. It is as decent record and vert consistent, but there wasn't anything that really surprised or stuck with me. Even the 'The Instrumental', the track I talked about before, didn't do anything for me. What I want to add is that the lyrics can be very relatable. There are as lot of themes about struggles, like being alone and ignored, so there's a lot do people that can get a lot of value out of them. Meanwhile, personally, I wish the performances where a little more impactful. Lastly, why does the last song have to be a 12 minute track shouting out people...? I only listened to it once and I skipped every other time I heard this album.
Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor is somewhere between a 3 and 4 for me. The first half was hit or miss. I felt the second half was much stronger with American Terrorist being a standout track.
i only had vague knowledge of mr. fiasco before this listen, but i instantly recognized "kick, push" and "daydreamin'" - the rest of the album did not disappoint!! happy to be introduced to mr. fiasco as i will be checking out his other stuff. highlights - kick, push, the instrumental, daydreamin', american terrorist
Wow that first track really tricked me I was not expecting good songs but there are some hitters on this
Don’t like rap/hip hop
Je ne suis pas fan du hip-hop des années 1990 avec ses échantillonnages de cordes et d’influence classique. Par contre le débit est singulier, les textes assez brillants
Never heard of this artist before, and was pleasantly surprised by this album. Enjoyed it 3/5
Now this was a fun surprise to get. I used to bump "Kick, Push" so much back in early middle school. I hadn't heard the rest of the album in almost 20 years. The thundering production and Lupe's smooth flows are a great combo.
It's good, but it doesn't sound essential to me. Favorite song: Pressure
Great pick. Even if this isn't your thing it's such a solid album. Also, so many people got a shout out in the Outro, I'm a little offended I wasn't included. Granted I have never met Lupe Fiasco, but still.
Solid, enjoyable hip hop grooves with a few strong standouts. The album feels at it’s strongest in the middle section.
3+ Stars (9/15)
The longest intro and outro I've ever heard. Instrumentally it was pretty good. Decent amount of singing. About average rapping; maybe above.
Nothing kills an album more than starting off with generic hackneyed poetry with the same cadence and quality you get from a college poetry slam competition.
I recognized the name, but not the atrocious album cover. So much better than I had expected, but not reinventing the genre in any way. Although, it's worth sitting through the whole project just to get to the outro. Literally one of the best songs I've ever heard. I love it when they spend a fifth of an hour just saying names. That’s just stellar. And he was able to increase the run time by twenty percent. So besides the outro, I’d say Lupe has a lot of charisma and talent and a knack for finding a unique way to do song styles that have gone stale. Otherwise, not too much of note. The album lost range long before the outro started. I enjoyed it. 4/5
Questo album spacca dall'inizio alla fine, mi ha fatto ritrovare una delle mia canzoni preferite inconsciamente. Non me lo aspettavo, mi ha pure sollevato un po' la giornata
I dug this one, with the exception of the last song where he just thanks everybody he's ever met. Gratitude is a great practice to cultivate, but it doesn't always make for entertaining listening.
Even though I’m not a big hip hop person, I don’t mind conscious hip hop. I can’t stand the themes in gansta rap so this is always a refreshing change. I didn’t mind this at all. It’s a long one but if you like this sort of thing, I think it’s a good album. Would rate 3.5.
New to me and I dig it. A decent range within the genre. I debated if this was a four or not. Got bored as it went further along though.
Rap crap
I am only 3 songs into this album, but everything seems to be drawn out. This intro could have been 30 seconds, but it was 3 minutes, Real was only a 20 second chorus on repeat for 4 minutes. Just Might Be OK has actual verses and a chorus, but still feels too long. Also I am now noticing that his voice really isn't that distinct, not bad, just not very memorable. Ok, I am complaining a lot, but this album sounds good, the beats are fun and he isn't a bad rapper. I think this album could be a 4 if it were trimmed down but as is I think it is a little bloated and repetitive (especially that outro). High 3.
It seems like this was significant for a period in time but that it’s stuck there. Time moved on; it didn’t.
Synes da va greit nok, egentlig
Just an amazing, consistent, and super well produced hip hop album. Minus one point for that absolutely ridiculous outro.
#DÍA 30: 1001 Discos Que Hay Que Escuchar Antes De Morir (English Translation Below) Buenas tardes, toca viajar a tiempos en los que ya estaba vivo, 2006. De Lupe Fiasco escuché su álbum del año pasado, Samurai, que me encantó y me despertó bastante curiosidad por su estilo, principalmente su forma de rimar y los conceptos locos de canciones. Aquí se trata de un glorioso debut tras llamar la atención en su colaboración con Kanye West en Touch the Sky, cuya influencia es de notar a lo largo de todo este LP. Aunque a mi ver esto es solamente en el aspecto instrumental, muy luminoso y maximalista, puesto que Lupe en el micro es mucho más complejo a nivel lírico. El proyecto arranca con una presentación del concepto general por su hermana Ayesha Jaco, un concepto sobre bien y mal (Food & Liquor). Las reflexiones sobre moralidad, ya sean a un nivel individual como social, abundan a lo largo de la lista de canciones. Un ejemplo es Hurt Me Soul, un tema en el que Lupe revela cómo su amor por la cultura del Hip Hop es confuso por la actitud misógina y cercana al crimen que promueve, pero también entiende la capacidad de este arte para reflejar una realidad invisibilizada. Otra canción interesantísima es Kick, Push, en la que a partir de un concepto sencillo —un chaval que ama hacer skate— trata sobre cómo la pasión de uno a veces puede ser minimizada por el resto, sin embargo llega a dar sentido a la vida del individuo (aunque como se revela en Kick, Push II, realmente esta pasión también era una forma de escape ante un ambiente privado complicado). En general es un proyecto implacable, con otros temas cargados de contenido lírico, como The Instrumental, que se adelantó bastante a nuestro presente acerca de la adicción a las pantallas o el lavado de cerebro; o He Say She Say, que trata de un modo muy psicológico la perspectiva de dos hermanos ante la falta de un padre; o American Terrorist, con un sentido crítico ante lo que él percibe como una mala interpretación de las distintas lecturas sagradas, lo que ha llevado a muchas guerras y opresión racial a lo largo de la historia. Pese a la fuerza de gran parte de los temas de este LP, hay algunos otros que son algo más olvidables, como Real que no tiene el mismo virtuosismo lírico que brilla en el resto de canciones; o la Outro, que pese a que en verdad admiro que Lupe se molestase en ocupar 12 minutos de su proyecto en agradecimientos, no termina siendo la escucha más entretenida del mundo… Aún así es un disco increíble como debut que me da ganas de escuchar más de su discografía para entender mejor cómo llegó al sonido de Samurai en 2024. Favoritas: Kick, Push; The Instrumental, He say She Say, Sunshine, Daydreamin’, Hurt Me Soul, American Terrorist, Kick Push II Menos favorita: Outro #DAY 30: 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Good afternoon, time to travel back to when I was already alive: 2006. I first listened to Lupe Fiasco’s album from last year, Samurai, which I loved and which really sparked my curiosity about his style, mainly his way of rhyming and the wild concepts behind his songs. Here we’re talking about a glorious debut after catching attention with his collaboration with Kanye West on Touch the Sky, whose influence can be felt throughout this LP. Although in my view, this is mostly on the instrumental side—bright and maximalist—since Lupe on the mic is much more complex lyrically. The project begins with an introduction to the overall concept by his sister Ayesha Jaco, a theme about good and evil (Food & Liquor). Reflections on morality—whether on an individual or social level—abound throughout the tracklist. An example is Hurt Me Soul, a track where Lupe reveals how his love for Hip Hop culture is conflicted due to the misogynistic and crime-driven attitude it often promotes, but he also recognizes the power of the art form to reflect an otherwise invisible reality. Another fascinating song is Kick, Push, where from a simple concept—a kid who loves skateboarding—he explores how one’s passion can sometimes be minimized by others, yet it can still give meaning to the individual’s life (although as revealed in Kick, Push II, this passion was also a way to escape a complicated private environment). Overall, it’s a relentless project, with other tracks packed with lyrical depth, like The Instrumental, which was way ahead of its time in addressing screen addiction and brainwashing; He Say She Say, which explores in a deeply psychological way the perspective of two siblings dealing with the absence of their father; or American Terrorist, with its critical take on what Lupe perceives as the misinterpretation of the different sacred texts, something that has led to many wars and racial oppression throughout history. Despite the strength of most of this LP’s tracks, there are a few that are a bit more forgettable, like Real, which doesn’t showcase the same lyrical virtuosity that shines elsewhere; or the Outro, which—even though I genuinely admire that Lupe took the time to dedicate 12 minutes of his project to thank-yous—doesn’t exactly make for the most entertaining listen… Even so, it’s an incredible debut that makes me want to dive deeper into his discography to better understand how he eventually arrived at the sound of Samurai in 2024. Favorites: Kick, Push; The Instrumental, He Say She Say, Sunshine, Daydreamin’, Hurt Me Soul, American Terrorist, Kick Push II Least favorite: Outro
Not my bag, but I've heard worse, Uh!
глоток свежего воздуха, максималистский хип хоп. разнообразный инструментал, богатое звучание, моментами густое, моментами поразительно легкое Kick, Push
2.5 stars. Not my vibe but not a great album
Never heard of this artist before. I found this morecompelling than much of the Rap albums on this list. More musically varied with touches of soul, rock, jazz, pop and of course hip hop. And the arrangements and production are a little more varied than is often the case with the bass not overpowering the rest of the mix. I like it. 3.5 stars (tempted to put 4)
Pretty good all the way through. Second half was stronger. Fun listen.
The background music has a definite 70s influence -- much in the same way Usher and Bruno Mars have adopted a 70s aesthetic, except that Fiasco is a rapper.
Very smooth, easy to listen to, maybe a little too long, but there was fun along the way. Three stars, but almost four.
Very conflicted about this album. On one hand, this album has some of the most engaging and fun lyrics I've heard on a hip-hop album. On the other, I feel like a lot of the effects and instruments (especially the drums and brass) feel strangely mixed, and almost grate against the songs instead of filling them out as they should. Also a lot of bloat on an album that does not need a longer runtime. Lots to enjoy, but should be better. Top tracks: Kick, Push; The Instrumental, Daydreamin'
It's a really solid rap album. Kick push was a huge hit. Daydreamin' was an amazing cover. I would recommend it for fans of conscious rap.
i like: just might be ok daydreamin' hurt me soul american terrorist also whenever the lyrics did get into my brain, it was touching and honestly many based takes (in hurt me soul)
i wasnt sure what to expect but i ended up really enjoying this one, i think its my favorite so far. some of the samples were very familiar and id be curious to look into the album a little more deeply
I did not use a private session, though I should have. Not my music and too much use of the N word. I'm sure Fiasco was meant to be tongue in cheek, but it fits.
Fire but not as good as lasers. There I said it
its well produced but not really catching me
Backpack rap that hasn’t quite kept its edge.
Why is this album on this list?
escuchándolo son las letras no me pareció para nada la gran cosa
Personally not for me, but I can appreciate the creativity to the beats and rhythms
Bro really did a 12 minute outro consisting of looped 10 seconds for said 12 minutes and him thanking and giving shoutouts to people involved in the album, inspirations, TV stations, radio stations, other bands and artists and rappers, family, friends, even some clubs etc. etc. Well, quite an interesting experience, I wouldn't exepct that. These thank yous were longer than in any book I've ever read and I've read not a small amount of books. Besides that, I enjoyed this album, maybe not 100% of it, but more than less. I am not sure if it's because I've been getting better hip-hop albums recently (including this one), or is it because I built up a tolerance of hip-hop over time - listening to many of them from this list. And please, change the album cover, it's horrendous.
Its alright I guess. Rap not really my bag but I can listen to this.
Good, flowy rap.
Beats are pretty sweet, I like the big band sound. Lyrics are fairly wholesome for hip-hop. Something about his rap cadence is annoying though. Fav track was I Gotcha. Bordering on 5 stars but it just didn't quite reach that level for me. The Intro really set the bar high when it claimed this was the start of new black revolution or something.
very solid, 3.5. just not feeling a relisten ever.
If I were approached in public to talk about Lupe Fiasco, chances are that the one thing I would recall off the top of my head would be "The Show Goes On" from his album Lasers, a song I enjoy that people can point to as the biggest highlight of his career. A couple of years after that, he went independent, and unless you were following his later material, it would appear as if he fell off the radar. It's rather bizarre to me, considering how much of the music industry was backing him up, especially given early connections he made with Jay-Z and Kanye West. Case in point, his debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, made the most of this backing, and I consider it a success. Between the variety of sharp beats and instrumental motifs from the multiple producers on this record, as well as Lupe's lyrical flow and intricate wordplay, enough is going on here to keep me intrigued. Also helping matters is that Lupe chose to stray from any violence or misogyny in his subject matter as he felt that was too prevalent in hip-hop music. Instead, we have songs that get on the cusp of greater philosophical understanding, such as the dissection of human nature and the actions one can take on "Just Might Be OK", the chronicling of stages of life through the lens of a skateboarder on "Kick, Push", the obsession with electronic devices on "The Instrumental", to the challenging of hip-hop culture stereotypes on "Daydreamin'" and "Hurt Me Soul", and a rather scathing critique of the United States's track record with humanitarian efforts on "American Terrorist". Sure, in moments, there are opportunities to go lyrically deeper, and a couple of tracks deal with a similar theming of Lupe's reconciliation with hip-hop music in its then-current state and how to move forward within the scene. But, I would say for the most part, this album proved to be thoughtful and introspective in its approach. If anything, my issue with this album is that it is rather long. At the very least, I didn't feel the need to include a 12-minute outro where Lupe thanks everyone who was involved in his upbringing up to this point, no matter how small their contributions may have been. While well-intentioned, it does not feel necessary to the overall product. Still, I'm rather impressed with Food & Liquor. I certainly get the appeal of Lupe Fiasco as a lyricist, and it has me curious how the rest of his output has been.
Would listen again, which for a project like this seems like a high bar.
*Sounded like an off-brand Jay-Z, but not necessarily in a bad way. *Lyrics were mostly about social justice, but were a bit elementary. *Enjoyable album *Fave track - Daydream' RATING - 7/10
Sometimes, I start listening to an album and I’m pretty unimpressed for the first couple of songs, and then something, usually a lyric, will catch me, and I’ll start listening with a different mindset, like a switch has been flipped. This album is one of those. For the first few songs, I was bored. It sounded too much like Kanye, I didn’t think the production was all that interesting, and it was just background noise. And then we got to I Gotcha, and the wordplay, the flow, the peppy beat - it just grabbed me. The album just got better from there. This is some of the best storytelling you’re going to get in a rap album of this era. This project needs more modern hip hop, and this is an absolutely worthy inclusion.
Ass album cover but didn’t listen too much
Vilket jävla fiasko av Fiasco.
Lupe always stood out for me when I was listening to him at the time this came out. Admittedly never listened to this all the way through but glad to report that it mostly holds up. Couple highlights boost this but the beat quality and lyrical complexity keeps the fun vibe throughout.
I think I'd give it a 4 if it was shorter but 1h12m is just too long to spend with generic 2000s beats
Vill cool Sounds. Americans Terrorist mega cool.
s intro isch uhuere spoken word dings haha. beat uf real isch recht geil mit de glitzerige synthis aber wird mit de ziit chli komisch? s het die ganz ziit hits so dass es gar nüme so hitted? just might be ok au wieder soooo en busy beat holy moly. aso recht cool und mega extra. ich cha mit sine text nonig soo viel afange. aber er het e cooli stimm und sin flow isch recht konstant und mit sehr viel selbstvertraue. i gotcha sehr verspielt sehr fun! he say she say hani etz chli bisi gfunde. find d production langsam chli nervig. und au so d text theme sind bitz sehr debüt-rapalbum lueg woher ich cho bin. ich willsem nöd abspreche. aber isch zums hüt lose würkli nüt mega spannends daydreamin' huuuuere cool mit sample sehr whimsical und denn de beat slappt moll gfalltmer. okay bi th cool gohts etz zum bispil mol uf so drogehandel und de shit. uf hurt me soul heter e mega langi reimketti woni zerst gfunde han isch chli e lyrical spiritual situation aber s isch no cool. pressure meeega geils intro haha. aha jay z isch ume. findi en uuuhuere geile best die fusiony iwürf au extrem geil. ui jay z dopplet sini stimm si soeziell und me ghört daser dopplet well es isch loose aber irgendwie saugeil. wiso isch das huere outro 12 minue lang??? huere schissdreck echt. es sind afoch NUME shoutouts merci. sorry stern abzug. gad e zwei.
hahaha shit das albumcover ich han echli angst wnl ok me ghört MEGA de kanye hanis gfühl? es isch mega vill gueti luune! uii I gotcha chli e wand hahaha the instrumental isch de mike shinoda track? tönt uf jede fall wie en chilligere linkin park oder crazy town track gege endi vomne album he say she say isch na cool aber 4 min lang immer chli s gliche sunshine kenni vo iwo??? daydreamin isch en banger! the cool het chli en ernstere ton american terrorist isch chli all over the place aber ich respektiers na hahahah 12 min outro :( also es passiert nüt crazy aber de beat isch iwie cool vodem her voll easy joo es müsst nöd so lang sii und lieder verschwümmed chli für mich ABER es git gueti luune und er tönt wie en cool dude
Interesting. Jay-Z ish
Daydreamin’ is a great song.. rest, eh 3/5
Mange topplåter og god oppbygning. Måten Kick, Push kommer tilbake på slutten er veldig sterk.
Surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. Production is over the top and the features are great. It's a healthy mix of classic hip hop and of the era sounds. -mitona
Introspective, thoughtful, and well produced. Lupe has a unique flow and this is coupled with thoroughly fleshed out rap songs. He raps for the purpose of education and not just entertainment and it comes through as powerful and engaging. The album itself takes a second to absorb into, but it builds presence throughout. Excellent. Only downslide is overall length and length of some songs.
Does nothing for me at all.
So much hip hop looks and sounds alike.
Had never of Lupe’s name or music but really enjoyed this. Varied , accessible, no real cringing at the lyrics (save the Tim Westwood shout out in the outro)
Sympa
formulaic, and obvious
Не самый неприятный хип-хоп, но не более того. 2 из 10.
Invented the indie rapper in many ways. This and Kanye's rise will always be tied together, along with Cudi. When rap got softer, more interesting, etc. Always kind of reminded me of Tribe's vibe. Lyrical and cool. A millennial touchstone.
surprised by the quality of the 2nd half and the extra star is for the 12 min outro
As much as I can like a straight hip hop album, this one was very enjoyable. Really impressive and fun production. Thought provoking lyrics and fun wordplay. Too bad he went crazy (from what I understand?)
Really good, reminded me of early Kanye. 9/10
Not my thing. But I did listen to the entire album.
Extremely weak pop rap. 1 star.
Stylish, nice flow. Still really empty album for me.
Very interesting album. While hip hop it's all over the place musically. Sometimes frantic, often extremely groovy.
So good holy moly
Fantastic record. I loved “Kick, Push” when it came out and always thought Lupe was talented, but this album was better than I could have expected. Lyrically interesting, and Lupe has great flow. The diversity in topics was a nice change of pace as well. I loved all the different producers and collaborators as each song felt unique yet cohesive to the overall record. Especially enjoyed “The Instrumental” because Mike Shinoda’s contributions really did something fresh and new for the genre. And “Daydreamin’” was such a delight with Jill Scott’s vocals. The only thing I didn’t care for much was the “Outro.” Way too long and didn’t add anything to the album. Despite that, though, the album was absolutely stellar.
Expected a lot more from this, pretty underwhelming bit some fairly good songs
Comes across pretty basic
Another 70 minute rap album and I couldn't handle this one. I have limited time so once I knew if I liked (mainly disliked) a track, I just skipped it halfway through. It's rap music. I very highly doubt it was going to kick into gear with a time signature change, a guitar solo or cool breakdown. The only things I can pick out that I enjoyed are the track with Jay-Z called 'Pressure' which had a cool beat and the second track 'Real' which had an electric guitar riff as a beat that I really enjoyed. Other than that, there's literally nothing I would come back to, sorry.
There were a few great songs but the album felt bloated. I’d cherry-pick this one in the future.
It's been a while since I heard some Lupe and everything I listened by him I liked a lot so I had no reason to think this would be any different, and it wasn't! This is just solid pop rap all the way through, many catchy and inventive beats, Lupe's always an engaging voice and even if it runs on a bit too long (Outro being basically a movie's end credits for 12 minutes is hilarious) I think this is still worth anyone's time, as is Lupe's music generally
I didn’t think I would but it grew on me
4.5 this reminds me of Kendrick, highly enjoyable!
It's alright hip hop for me. Never heard of him before today, he has a really nice flow but it gets a little stale over the length of the album. Good beats and some of it is catchy just not for an entire album. I can definitely see how people would like this though.
2/5
Hip-Hop. Noping out .... 1/5
Not bad, not my taste
not particularly bad or good or maybe just not my tase
Surprisingly pleasant, except for the Outro. I thank MySpace!
I thought this was just fine. Not fantastic but hardly bad. 6/10
Wonderful, but could have been tighter. Would be 4.5 if half stars allowed.
This was okay, I guess. Not really my thing. He reminded me a lot of Jay-Z.
Han borde hålla sig till Street Fighter.
This is anti-gangster rap. It's kinda refreshing to be honest, if not a tad preachy, but not wrong either. This is one where you need to really listen and process lyrics. Harder to casually have on if you're not already familiar with it. This album has some nice shifts in style and tone, for example, the second "The Instrumental" started playing I knew it was produced by Mike Shinoda and it was a nice mix up from the previous couple songs. Same with "Pressure" and "American Terrorist." There are some stretches of "sameness" though. Standouts for me on this one were "Just Might Be OK" "The Instrumental" "Daydreamin'" and "American Terrorist." This album is pretty long, I was fatigued by the end of it. The 12 minute "Outro" just thanking people was certainly a choice. Most people just put that stuff in the liner notes because, shockingly, I know, no one wants to listen to that. The rest of the album was a pretty ok listen for me though. Not my usual forte, but not too bad! I liked the varied use of samples and instruments. 3/5
God I wish this had .5 ratings. 4.5. Solid.
greattt album but the intro and outro are really dated and useless
This is pop rap trash
Such a wonderful, thoughtful album that showcases just how musically diverse hiphop was getting at this time. Of the many forks in the rap world, Lupe took the lyrical, often-story-based, picture-painting route. Outside of occasionally being heavy-handed with the 'spiritual lyrical miracle' angle (which all backpack rap was) this album is a great debut. All those sound effects in "Just Might Be OK" and "Daydreamin" give the illusion that Lupe is the puppet master of this whole seen. "Kick, Push" is a classic so catchy it makes me wish i was younger and into skating when this came out - I love an honest ode to a hobby that consumes ones youth. "I Gotcha" is the most Chicago backpack rap thing to not come from Kanye and its as fun as anything! I think a lot of people needed to hear a song like "He Say She Say" and this era of rap was famous for breaking stereotypes and emotional barriers like stories about excelling in school or absent fathers. "Hurts Me Soul" shows that Lupe has an ear for a catchy melody too (which we'd hear more in future albums). Lupe establishes his unique voice with a colorful book of lyrics, varied-enough rhyme schemes, and some really fun beats. His Tetsuo & Youth album and his House EP are very worth listens, all coming at different points in his career
Liked this. The 12 minute outro thanking people is a bit unnecessary, couldn't he have just put that in the liner notes? But anyway there's some good production here and the album is full of great hooks so overall it's decent. The Daydream sample is used nicely
This has no business going so hard. What an album!
It was OK. The cover of Daydream was great though.
Fine 3.5
3.5
Nice, happy little hip hop album.
Not bad, but nothing I felt needed adding to my liked, except one I had alrdy. 3.5/5
Really liked this.
I hated this album upon first listen. Like 1-star, can’t even finish the album. So I put it on the back burner and here I am 10 months later giving it a retry. I don’t know what was wrong with me that first listen. This is fantastic. A little long, but enjoyable the whole way through.
modern classic
Daydream
Not usually the kind of music I’d choose to listen to but I liked this album! Really interesting beats, lyrics, etc
well i *could* do without the Kanye shoutout
3.5/5. Okay Lupe Fiasco I might have misunderestimated your game, next time I'll be sure to estimate you.
As plenty of others have mentioned, Kick Push and Daydream alone make this a standout album. It's one I want to come back to, but on first listen it's solid all around.
14/06/2025 I've known of Lupe for years, since I was a kid. I didn't know what music he did to make him famous... I still don't know what even makes him famous.
No va
Not for me
This went from a 3 at the start to a 1 after the following lyrics: Now come on everybody, let's make cocaine cool We need a few more half naked women up in the pool And hold this MAC-10 that's all covered in jewels And can you please put your titties closer to the 22s? And where's the champagne? We need champagne Now look as hard as you can with this blunt in your hand And finished as a 2. At times this was an absolute abomination, as deep as a puddle of urine and equally enticing. But by the end there was enough in the beats and music to kick it up a notch. 1.5 rounded to 2, just.
Lupe Fiasco had quite the debut into the hip-hop mainstream. Even before this, he featured on Kanye West's big single "Touch the Sky" and immediately made a presence. Now with Kanye, Jay-Z, The Neptunes, and Mike Shinoda among others backing him on production, Fiasco was ready for his official entrance into hip-hop. "Food & Liquor" represents the war between good & evil, per Lupe Fiasco. Very conscious subjects such as poverty, racism, and misconceptions of the Islam religion in America (Lupe being someone practicing Islam from Chicago himself) can be found here. There are "fun" and "lighter" subjects too, such as embracing individuality and a tale of skateboarding-obsessed lovers. The album largely operates on an upbeat sound. It all makes for a clean and glossy production that doesn't really waver (although "Outro" could've been made into the liner notes or something). Best tracks: Kick, Push, He Say She Say, Daydreamin', Hurt Me Soul
Hip hop its a american dog shit only relevant to americans, for the rest of the world this is rubbish!
Better than Coldplay
This was really good!
I found most of this repetitious, formulaic and forgettable like a lot of the hip hop of this era. Had to punch out on the excessive and annoyingly long outro… 2.5/5
Better than a lot of the other crap-hop we’ve already been served throughout this exercise. Which is still not saying much. Kick, Push and Daydreamin were standouts, and overall production was tight in spots. But that 12-min outro is just bloviating b.s.
This was ok, I guess this is pretty approachable for the non-hip hop fan. Def fun at times, didn’t hate it.
Man, I remember Lupe being so hyped when he first hit. Pretty good flow and beats. Didn’t blow my mind or necessarily pull me more into the genre but I could see myself coming back to some Lupe.
Enjoyable. Couple hits in Kick, Push and Daydreamin'. Also liked I Gotcha. AGAIN runtime is too long. And that ridiculous 12 minute outro almost got me dropping a full star.... but ignoring that abomination this is a solid listen. 3.25/5
Semi modern hip hop, nothing too substantial
I’ve always liked the song, Kick Push but this album was disappointing. Especially since the last track is 11 minutes of him thanking random people
I didn't have high expectations for this one as I misremembered who Lupe Fiasco was. Boy was I pleasantly surprised when I pressed play. Fantastic loops, excellent rhymes and flows, and mesmerizing beats.
What a refreshing surprise! I was not sure when I saw it but this man quickly gained my respect for a pretty cool rap album.
You may know Lupe Fiasco from his guest verse on Kanye West's hit single Touch the Sky. I like that song. This is an old Kanye-esque feeling album without all baggage of current Kanye. Lupe Fiasco is a talented lyricist and the beats and production are great! 3.5⭐️
Sonically cluttered. Lacking dynamic range. This had some nice moments, but overall was an exhausting listen. And that 12 minute outro...bro, that's what liner notes are for. Standout track: The Instrumental, American Terrorist
En vrai, dans mon registre, ce genre de Hip Hop là passe crème, du genre Hip-pa-po-cube Zoombadouwowpifpif, si vous voyez ce que je veux dire, vous, les jeunes wesh du quartier. - Clément, plz, ça fait deux semaines que j’t’ai répondu, vas voir Hunky Dory
Chi Town in the house!! Anybody who references Jerry Garcia and calls out the Israeli Occupation is gonna get a lot of love from me, but even forgetting all that (and the rediculously long and completely unnecessary outro), this is a really great album. Socially conscious, soulful funkiness, great beats but also great music...my favorite kind of hip hop...and a shout out to Jill Scott while we're at it. 5
Wasn't sure what to expect and once again, pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this album. The flow, featured artists, topics covered - Stellar!
Yes there is such a thing as too much intro
I hope it's good food(I don't drink by the way).
Very well produced hip-hop album (produced by Jay-Z, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams etc.), perhaps it is a bit too busy even. The music is enjoyable enough while I listen to it, but after a few songs, I already forget what I've heard a few minutes earlier. Also, the album is way too long, with over 70+ minutes. Somewhere between 2 and 3 stars, downgraded to 2 overall.
So very bored by this.
I held off on listening to this for a long time because I thought it was going to require concentration like a lot of hip hop with dense lyrics, but to me this all seems pretty basic. The Instrumental is some real teenage makes-you-think drudgery with some especially straightforward beats. He Say She Say all seems to be surface level. I really didn't like Daydreamin' to begin with, the lazy sampling of an old track gave it the feeling of trip hop, but the verses pulled it back. The Cool reminds me of a musical interlude from a scare-them-straight, stay-in-school educational video schools make you watch in your early teens. I think my issue with this and other "socially-conscious" rap is that the identity and aim of the music is negative, an overt attempt to reject and be the opposite of mainstream rap, instead of just being different by being free and making its own path, which would lead to more possibilities in the music. By trying to oppose mainstream rap, this is still tied to it.
I mean this is excellent. But I do admittedly like rap and skew that way. He masterfully combines many different melodies, beats, and lyrics to create a really wonderful album. I didn't realize Jay-Z was on this album. It's really catchy and it's also saying a lot.
So I liked the newest lupe album. It was an enjoyable listen. And this is too. But its off rotation immediately. Its just not my style. Its too lyrical for my tastes. If I cared about that more it would get a higher score but alas I do not. A couple good beats but generally pretty middle of the road for me. Also this is just too long. And I like that it ends on a nice thank you to the hundreds of people who make things like this happen but does it need to be almost 15 minutes long? Its a nice gesture but its excessive. Pretty mid for me
Never heard of Lupe Fiasco before today. Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Mike Shinoda apparently helped produce the record. You can hear the influence Mike had on the albums sound in a few tracks (sounds like the rap sections of Linkin Park songs). In the song Real, the background singer sounds exactly like the band Vitas performing the chorus of their song The 7th Element (iykyk). I didn't need a 12 minute track of Lupe reading the album liner notes. Kinda a dumb concept. Overall, a pretty good album. Nothing too exciting, but a solid album nonetheless Favorite songs: The Instrumental, "Kick, Push", He Say She Say, Hurt Me Soul, "Kick, Push II" Least favorite songs: Outro, Intro (fuck skits) 3/5
Mid ash, can appreciate the message apart from a couple things 5/10
8/10 cornball album cover tho
No. Sampled it. Good production, very busy sounding, lyrically empty- lots of bragging. Not interested.
This is pretty good and it's sad because It's whatever I guess. It sounds like somebody decided to take a regular rapper who wasn't too bad and just push all of his music through a Jay z filter. The production is great the lyrics and metaphors are great, everything's great but maybe it feels a little inauthentic because he sounds so much like Jay-Z.
Cool vibes, weird lyrics
The longer I do this the more I realize most music in the background is fine. I liked this but I think it will take a few more listens before I love it.
I never heard Lupe Fiasco, so Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor was entirely new to me. For the era, he does a good job with innovative writing matched with good production. While it suffers from the same issue common with the genre, the album length can use some cutting - I'd suggest the 12 minute Outro track that is nothing but shout outs, I'm surprised I didn't hear my name in there. 3/5
Cool album - Daydreamin' is a fantastic song, and the rest of the album is totally listenable. The content is admirable, but I can't see past the Kanye influence and that god-awful Outro. This probably sits around 3.5 so I'll generously round it up to a 4
Quite epic. He has a lot to say as most rappers do. Again I’m not the audience for this but it’s appealing. Really moved by KickPush and the reprise at the end. Listenable with shades of jazz and soul. Not bad!
I wasn't expecting to like this at all but actually found it really good and multi layered. I had no idea that daydreaming was one of his which was a surprise. Definitely look into the back catalogue
Es un buen álbum, no se puede negar. Las rimas son muy particulares, las letras interesantes (aunque me cueste horrores identificarme con las vicisitudes de un skater negro americano), y la producción buenísima. Además, es un álbum pionero dentro de ese "rap consciente" de temática más política y sensible en comparación al gangsta rap que lo precedió. Es una especie de Kanye West menos loco. Me alegra que existan discos como este, pero es que la mezcla de R&B y rap no es lo mío, como ya he dicho en otra ocasión. Sencillamente, me aburre escucharlo. Todas las canciones siguen la misma fórmula, y suelo preferir el rap menos melódico, menos cercano al pop comercial. Además, es demasiado largo. 2.5 que voy a redondear hacia abajo.
Never heard of him and I’m ok with that.
Continuamos com estilos musicais que não são do meu agrado. Nem me dei ao trabalho de o ouvir.
- besser, als erwartet, erinnert mich an die ersten Alben von Kanye West (die man mal gerne gehört hat, mittlerweile aber leider nicht mehr ohne Würgereflex pumpen kann) - insgesamt stimmig, entspannte Beats dabei und irgendwo bei 3/5
Not my style i dont even think its that good
Deze man houdt van intro's denk ik. Track 1 is letterlijk een intro, track 2 en 3 klinken als een intro van een track die nooit op gang komt en track 4 heeft een intro van zo'n 49 seconden. Ik ben van voor de TikTok generatie, maar ook mij ben je dan eigenlijk al een beetje kwijt. Ik merk dat een groot deel van dit album me irriteert. Track 6 vind ik wel tof, een soort suikervrije Linkin Park variant. Her en der nog een aardig beatje met een leuk stukje rappen. Het is niet genoeg voor mij. Ik ga deze 2 sterren geven. Ik vind de meeste beats simpelweg niet lekker en dan blijft er bij zo'n album wat mij betreft weinig over. En dan nog dat outro van 12 minuten. Slechts 2 sterren.
Sounded better in 2008
Good vibes hip hop
I had only heard the two big hits before this. I disliked it a lot more than I thought I would. Lame kept popping into my head. Also have some quality control, in no way did this need to be 1 hr 12 Rating: 2.6
Reviews are gonna be blinded by nostalgia, this isn't really anything
Pretty solid 4/5
Steady simple beat throughout all songs, some powerful lyrics - it was pretty good.
Pleasant surprise. I had preconceived it as one of those "early aughts hip hop albums that drag for too long instead of going straight to the point", but there are some certified bangers on this one.
Gonna be honest, I'm thinking I'm harsher on this album than I normally would be since I'm kinda feeling like I'm not in the mood for this record. It's something I might be able to appreciate more if I give it another shot in the future, but gonna go off my listen now. That said, I still don't think its particularly great. Extremely, distractingly overproduced, just way too much going on. Also way too long. Hour and 12 is indulgent, especially for how stuffed/overproduced this thing is. Kinda feels like budget Kanye to me. I Gotcha has a terrible beat. Like he's rapping over an Animal Crossing tune. Those two things don't mix unless you're K.K. Slider. Some solid tunes though. Sunshine (even though the start with the stutter was annoying, Hurt Me Soul has a similar start), Kick Push, Daydreamin'. But overall, I'm just not feeling it.
3/5
Did not care for this at all. Tiring, and wanted it to end after every song.
Production on this is good, if a little dated and of it's era - a halfway between the maximalist Kanye, and the RnB/Hip Hop hybrid of the early 2000s. My biggest gripe is the lyrics - Lupe is clearly a talented rapper and delivery is mostly OK, but his writing is really not for me. A select few have somewhat interesting wordplay, but is mostly very simple and predictable. Best Tracks: - Daydreamin Worst Tracks: - American Terrorist - Hurt Me Soul Rating: 4/10
It's not even the album with "Battle Scars" :c
This was enjoyable, but wasn't the best.
God damn I forgot how much I hated Lupe Fiasco in high school. It’s somehow maximalist and low effort at the same time.
A solid ok
Kick, Push // I Gotcha // He Say She Say // Daydreamin’ // Hurt Me Soul // 3.5/5
Boring. Weird that this is in the same era as J.Dilla, The Ummnah, even KanYe.
Enjoyable listen and will return to it again. Minus a star for the stupid thanks track
Decent. I think I borrowed this album from the library about 15 or so years ago. I remember Kick, Push being a standout track, but don’t recall much beyond that. Pretty much holds same today. *hawk screech*
Thanks, list! I hadn’t listened to this one in a while and I had a blast revisiting. I’ll probably go back and listen to this one again in the near future.
I was not excited to listen to this. I had never heard of this guy. But I really liked it! I will admit that I did not listen to the entire outro. Woof.
This one is frustrating, because I want to rate it higher but it doesn't fully deliver on its ambition. I'm not gonna pretend hip-hop is fully my wheelhouse or that anyone cares about my suburban white lady opinion but I hear how this pulls from early Kanye and Common, I like both, but without having to sit through tone deaf casual misogyny which was still considered conscious because the bar was below the floor, so that's cool. So it has the sound of both to me but like the lyricism of The Roots but not quite as good as any of these three but still pretty good? It can feel a little corny and it's long. The singles like Kick, Push are the strongest as far as his actual strength as a rapper and the songs themselves. There's a lot to like here and a lot of good ideas but it's definitely inconsistent, it flirts with being almost a classic but not quite.
Wasn't a big fan of his rap style at first. Never like it when rappers breath in sharply after every sentence, but the good message, good stories and tight beats won me over at the end. Good stuff.
Great wordplay and flow.
Pleasantly surprised by this one. Full sound and rhythmic rapping of more than basic messages.
Nothing special. Couple decent songs allowed me to round up from 2.5*.
really fun mid 00s hip hop album. the beats here are really fun and i appreciate lupe's flow and messages. the highlight here for me was 'kick, push' which is an all time classic, but i also really loved songs like 'daydreamin' and 'i gotcha.' just a fun album through and through.
Can’t put my finger on it exactly but I’ve never been super into Lupe Fiasco. The album exceeded my expectations but did not wow me. I knew Kick Push and Dreaming. Dreaming is great but I’m going to attribute that to Jill Scott. Eh 🤷♀️
I hate Lupe’s voice & intonation, so a few cool bars don’t compensate for it. Standout track is: “Pressure”
Kind of middle of the road album for me. I liked “Kick, Push” and Daydreaming” but I really couldn’t stand the the “Outro” and the “Intro” - especially “Outro” what a waste of my time - that almost cost it only getting 2 stars but I’ll be generous and give it 3.
Not my cup of tea. I didn't bother listening to the intro and outro. Still had a few songs that I enjoyed! I added 5 songs from the album to my '1001 albums favorite songs' playlist.